(PresseBox) (Darmstadt, 28.08.2008).
- All business processes, from order to final billing, to be optimized, automated and analyzed in real-time
- Process automation will allow Watt to change business processes and implement effective business decisions "on-demand"
- Process optimization and analysis will deliver 30% efficiency gains
- Software AG's webMethods product portfolio to provide the IT backbone for this "ultimate digital business"

Software AG today announced that Watt Germany GmbH has chosen its webMethods product suite to support a revolutionary approach to managing business processes. Watt has embarked on a program of redefining its total operations from a business process perspective. Reducing and optimizing the total number of processes, Watt will then automate and monitor the running business through a reorganization of its IT infrastructure. The new infrastructure will enable Watt to make immediate changes to processes to reflect new regulations, to support customers and to introduce new products, on-demand. In addition Watt estimates that it can deliver efficiency gains of 30% allowing for the re-allocation of resources and accelerating sales.

Watt, a leading electricity provider for small to medium sized organizations throughout Germany, is the ultimate digital business. The product is digital, the supply chain is digital and the sales and marketing processes are digital. The buying and selling of electricity requires accurate forecasts of demand, down to the customer level, the ability to rapidly switch customers between suppliers and accurate and timely billing. Watt is the first electricity provider in Germany to automate this digital chain from first customer contact to supply and finally to billing.

"This is revolutionary", says Markus Felsmann, Director of IT & Processes at Watt. "what we are doing here will allow us to make business decisions, identify what processes need to be changed to implement those decisions and to start making those changes immediately."

To Watt's customers, this means choice. A choice in service level definition and product scalability. Electricity will be more than just a commodity, but become a tool to minimize costs through accurate demand forecasting and just-in-time delivery. Welcome news in today's energy markets.

"It is not only about efficiency", according to Markus Felsmann. "although that is important. We will have real-time monitoring and analysis of our total business. We can pin-point and change activities that are less than fully effective, and, introduce new activities, in hours rather than days, in days rather than weeks".

Watt's approach was to look at the business from a new process perspective, independent of any underlying IT technology or restrictions. The "order-to-cash" processes were re-designed based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and only then the IT decisions made, needed to support the newly designed business. "We started with the processes we need to run a successful business and then looked at what we need to support that", Markus Felsmann. "We choose Software AG's webMethods".

"This a good example of the innovation delivered to companies through the implementation of SOA and BPM technology" said Karl-Heinz Streibich, CEO of Software AG. "I have talked recently of the significant changes currently taking place in the IT market and this is one of the best examples I have seen of innovative thinking leading to excellent results for companies and their customers. We are delighted they choose Software AG".